Images(5)

Thermometer

Object number2021.86.2

Manufacturer Bauer Thermometer Company

Date1972-1999

OriginNew York, NY

MediumWood; Glass; Mercury; Paper; Ink; Fabric(?)

Credit LineGift of Judith Fesz

DescriptionBath thermometer. Light brown rectangular wooden housing with turned wooden handle; handle has hole through it. Front and back of housing has oblong opening showing glass tube containing mercury thermometer and sheet of paper. Front side of paper has printed black and red text along hash marks demarcating temperature; reverse side of paper has printed black product and maker information and key to thermometer markings.DimensionsLength x Width x Depth: 12 x 1.125 x 0.938 in. (30.5 x 2.9 x 2.4 cm)
InscriptionsFront side of paper has black and red printed Fahrenheit temperature markings 20-200 in increments of 20; viewer's top right corner has red text "F".

Front side of paper has along bottom right half are red printed text "A / B / C / D / E / F".

Back side of paper has black printed text "A - HOT bath / B - WARM bath / C - TEPID bath / D - TEMPERATE bath / E - COOL bath / F - COLD bath".

Proper right side has red handwritten text "Bath Thermometer".
MarksBack side of paper has black printed text "No. 880/12 BATH THERMOMETER Dr. FORBES SPECIFICATIONS / BAUER / THERMOMETER CO. / N. Y. C. MADE IN U. S. A."
Historical NotesBath temperature thermometer, for infant care. This was one of the items in each nurse's bag. The Visiting Nurses Association of Allegheny County started in 1919 as the Public Health Nursing Association of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1948, they incorporated as the Visiting Nurses Association of Allegheny County. The organization is a descendent of the Fruit and Flower Mission, but the organization split from Fruit and Flower and that organization continued its work of visiting the sick and elderly. They were one of only a few home care agencies when they started out. They started hospice serves in 1970 and a stroke group, and they were the first to do home chemo in the 1980s. When Judith Fesz started in 1972, you had to have a bachelor’s degree but they loosened this rule during her time with the organization and when she left in 1999, they had around 700 employees. The organization closed in 2000 because of Medicare financial issues.

Related institution Visiting Nurses Association of Allegheny County (1949 - 2000)

Related institution Public Health Nursing Association of Pittsburgh (1919 - 1949)

Previous owner Judith Fesz

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